Life was designed to be lived in community.

Intro: Do you really give must thought to having hope becoming a reality
in a Baby wrapped up in swaddling clothes lying in a manager? You should,
because without Christ you have no hope! The gift of hope allows us to
experience the proof of Christ working in our own life; this gift also allows
us to understand there is permanence in this relationship, and a power that the
Holy Spirit enables us to use. This Christmas time gift also gives Joy for
those who will really receive it, because this gift is a rare commodity! When
one removes a few of the letters in the word commodity and adds just one
additional you get the word common. The gift of Joy in the Christian life
should be the common thread that brings all of them together. The Christmas
season should allow all the believers to experience the true joy of the Gift.

The
Bible says: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ” So maybe the question is, do you have faith? Do you have
a relationship with Jesus Christ? Not an image in your mind of a baby wrap in
swaddling clothes lying in a manger or some Christmas card that quotes a
scripture reference of the Christmas message and you hang the card on your
door, because it is Christmas. Have you by faith received Jesus Christ as your
Lord and savior? Because you see, you never really have peace in this world or
the place you spend eternity until you have faith! That’s the gift of peace! HOPE,
JOY & PEACE, THEIR ALL GIFTS. Do you have them? You can. Text: Luke 2:8-11
(NKJV)

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

1. The Gift of Hope:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to
a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an
inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved
in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various
trials.” 1 Peter 1:3-6

Application: The gift of hope is Christ.

The Proof: vs.
3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

It is a guarantee by the resurrection of
Christ!

The unsaved person is “without hope”; yet the believer has a living
hope because he has a living Savior. Christ is our Hope, and we look for His
soon-expected return. The Christian does not work for this hope; it is a part
of his spiritual birthright.

The Permanence: vs. 4 “to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for
you,”

It is kept in heaven for us.

“We have a priceless inheritance—an
inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the
reach of change and decay.” The inheritance is incorruptible. All things
earthly have in themselves the seeds of decay and death; but “when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption,” the redeemed of the Lord shall
receive a kingdom that cannot be moved, where “neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt.” It is undefiled. The inheritance of Israel was defiled, but into the
heavenly inheritance entereth not “anything that defileth” “Let Not your Heart
be Troubled!”

The Power: vs. 5“who are kept by the power of God through faith
for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

God’s mighty power
assures us that we will safely arrive in heaven.

That’s the Gift! That’s what
Christmas is: the proof of Christ, His permanence and His power that allows us
to have hope and experience the Gift!

With this power we can live, we do not
have to live in disappointment or depression because of what has happened in
our life. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been
poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

2. The
Gift of Joy:

“Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but
the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be
turned into joy. 24“You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will
receive, and you will have abundant joy.” John 16:20, 24

The Gift also gives
Joy for those who will really receive it, because this gift is a rare
commodity! When one removes a few of the letters in the word commodity and adds
just one additional you get the word common. The gift of Joy in the Christian
life should be the common thread that brings all of them together. The
Christmas season should allow all the believers to experience the true joy of
the Gift.

Application: The rare commodity is real Joy!

Joy is Divine:

It is
possessed and given only by GOD! Its roots are not in earthly or material
things or cheap triumphs. It is the joy of the Holy Spirit, a joy based in the
Lord. It is His very own Joy. Joy does not depend on circumstances or
happiness. Happiness depends upon happenings, but Joy that God implants in the
believer’s heart overrides all, even the most troublesome matters of life and
death.

This is a rare commodity in the church! REAL Joy! Someone who’s world
isn’t rattled every time something unexpected happens, this individual is able
to go with the flow, move on, and get over it. Their feelings are not hurt so
easily.

The source of the believer’s joy is several fold:

The fellowship of the
Father and His Son brings joy.

Victory over sin, death, and hell brings joy.

Repentance
brings joy.

The Hope of glory brings joy.

The Lord’s Word, the revelations,
commandments, and promises which He made bring joy.

The commandments of Christ
and the will of God bring joy. Obeying and doing a good job stirs joy within the
believer’s heart.

Prayer brings joy.

The presence and fellowship of believers
bring joy.

Coverts bring joy.

Hearing that others walk in the truth brings joy.

Giving brings joy.

Joy is Deliverance:

Joy defined is the emotion evoked by
well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one
desires: delight, a state of happiness or felicity a source or cause of delight:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.”

The fruit of the spirit
gives joy, so are you a source of joy? Are you delivered, and if you are
delivered you will have this rare commodity! “Then the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which
will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of
David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Isn’t it a shame that
this gift of joy that should be a common thread amongst all believers is such a
rare commodity?

3. The Gift of Peace:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1 (KJV)

Is there peace
in your world? PEACE Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with
God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the
presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the
prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation.
In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can
be experienced by the believers.

Application: Christ is our source of PEACE!

This
Gift that is discussed in this message today can be fully appreciated from
Manger? And to that I say yes because in this Manger was God, Emanuel. “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”

Complete
Peace:

Only God Can Give complete peace, peace is the Offspring of Trust,
complete peace takes place in spite of external conflicts. To God be the glory
great things He has done for He has brought to us a way to have peace. That way
is Jesus: (No Jesus No Joy!)

One thing is certain: Jesus did not advocate
conflict. He taught his followers to offer no resistance or retaliation when
they were attacked or ill-treated. "Blessed are the peacemakers," he
said, "for they will be called sons of God", meaning that God is the
God of peace, so that those who seek peace and pursue it reflect his character.
To put on the full armor of God we must: “shod your feet with the preparation
of the gospel of peace.”

"And, having made peace through the blood of his
cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they
be things in earth, or things in heaven” Colossians 1:20

Conclusion: “For unto
us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

“These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John
16:33 (KJV)

We must seek peace with ourselves and with God, with the world we
live in and the life we experience! That is why Christ came: Seek peace and
pursue it! “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (KJV)

“For unto us
a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His
shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6